There seems to be a bit of fear swirling through some social media channels I’m on. Fear that A.I. is going to replace “real” artists in one way or another. I personally always try to embrace new technology and make it work for me, because whether I like it or not, it’s here to stay.
TLDR: Even if you’re working in a traditional medium, A.I. text to image generators might be a new tool that can augment your current creative workflow. Give it a shot!
Here are some suggestions on how artists (digital and analog) can make A.I. image generators work for them, and why I don’t think it’s going to replace anyone anytime soon. Look at the face below. Does that look evil to you?!? Ha ha!
The image above was created by me, using Midjourney as ONE part of my digital creative workflow. The image generator is getting better and better at an extremely fast rate. Of course, Midjourney isn’t the only text to image generator out there. There are a TON of them, and the list is growing constantly. If you’re an artist, I highly recommend you dive in to A.I. and see what it can add to your already existing workflow. I think there is value here, even if you’re using traditional analog mediums.
That blank canvas staring back at you.
It has been said that one of the hardest parts of being an artist is starting with a blank canvas. Sometimes, I agree. As an artist myself, I have had those days where my mental idea generator just isn’t working. No matter what I do, or inspiration I try to find, I just can’t get past that initial starting point. This is one part where I think text to image generators are very helpful, and not just for digital artists either, but for all artists.
This blank canvas anxiety can be tough for any creative person, in any industry. Even if you’re going to create a physical object, there’s nothing wrong with jotting down ideas in a sketchbook, or for that matter, having A.I. throw some ideas at you. This goes for any art form. Here are some examples I thought were cool.
Polymer clay artists using A.I.?!?
Let us imagine you’re a polymer clay artist. Your blocks of sculpey clay laid out in front of you and you’re ready to create your next set of sculptures. You look outside, see a treehouse, and wonder, what would a small polymer clay treehouse look like? Enter the A.I. text to image generator. In this case, Midjourney.
When you look at these concepts, there’s some pretty good ideas in there! They’re not perfect. Some of the items/concepts might not be possible in actual polymer clay, but it’s a great jumping off point. After you create your sculpture, does it matter what you used for inspiration? I would argue no, it does not. Real life objects, digital objects, photographs, books, bring inspiration in many forms. A.I. is just one of them.
Stained glass artists using A.I.?!?
Have a picky client that wants to update their new front door with some stained glass designs? Why not use A.I. to come up with multiple concepts to show your client? They can be generated quickly, and if the client is picky, it’s not difficult to change some words here and there to get a new result.
I’m not a stained glass artist, so I don’t know if these are even viable concepts, but they sure look like stained glass. And if these aren’t possible, at least it gives the artist a starting point to engage with a client and find an initial direction.
Of course, these are just two analog art forms that I came up with pretty quickly to give an idea of what’s possible. It’s also a great tool for someone who might start their workflow in the digital world, and translate it to the real world. How about custom car designers?
Custom car designers using A.I.?!?
If you have client that walks into your shop and says they have a rusty old 48 Chevy coupe they want to fully restore, you might want to consider using A.I. to generate a starting point for some ideas. The client says they want it painted purple, slammed to the ground, and massive rims.
Are these accurate renderings of a 48 coupe? Meh, kind of. Do they have to be? Nope! Is it a great STARTING point for you to photobash in some actual rims, or add some digital pinstripes? Of course! Again, A.I. can be just ONE tool in a massive toolset that you as an artist can use.
It’s still very new tech.
With any new technology comes some apprehension and fear, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I would encourage everyone to explore the A.I. toolset. Maybe it will work for you, maybe it won’t. But for me, it has become just another tool in my large creative toolbox. It helps me express myself in new ways I might have never discovered before. Maybe it can do that for you too!
As always, thank you for reading!
James
